Watch out: Russians are coming to Manly

Rugby League Writer

The following try is brought to you by ... Jamie Lyon on the run for the "Kaspersky Sea Eagles". Photo: Brendan Esposito

WHEN the enthusiastic media release lobbed at 4.50pm on Monday, it appeared straight out of the Garry Hocking book. Hocking, the former Geelong AFL player, briefly changed his name to Whiskas as part of a promotion with the cat-food company.

On this occasion, Manly Warringah, one of the most successful Sydney NRL clubs in recent years, now wanted to be known as the Kaspersky Sea Eagles, in honour of their main sponsor, an internet security company whose headquarters are in Moscow, not Manly.

''In recognition of the strength of the relationship between the club and its principal partner, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have adopted the Kaspersky Sea Eagles as their official title,'' the statement said. ''Kaspersky Lab have been a loyal and valued partner since joining the club in 2011.''

Illustration: Cathy Wilcox

Given the sponsor's commitment until the end of 2015, it read, the team would ''also be referred to as the Kaspersky Sea Eagles''.

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''We are proud to be so closely associated with such an internationally respected brand,'' the, ahem, Kaspersky Sea Eagles general manager, David Perry, said in the statement. ''They are an integral part of the Manly team and having their name in the team's title gives them well-deserved acknowledgement.''

But before long, it became clear it had been a major miscommunication. As news of the news release lit fires on social media, Kaspersky Sea Eagles officials quickly reverted to being Manly officials, and sanity prevailed. The release was removed from the club's official website. Presumably, the Sea Eagles would not be blaming an internet virus.

A clarifying statement explained that the business would be referred to in internal and corporate communication as the Kaspersky Sea Eagles.

''The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles' official title will remain unchanged,'' it read. ''We apologise for any confusion.''

''Fair dinkum,'' said the long-time but now former Manly official Ken Arthurson. ''I don't think it will amount to too much.''

It didn't. But not before news of a club which, ever so briefly, was named after an internet virus software company - went viral.